Sk8man

I've had their units since the seventies too, but it isn't the same company any longer and I suspect that your support experience might be quite a bit different these days.

A couple things seem worth mentioning: 1) many newer CHIRP depthfinders have a wide range of features; some of which are highly sophisticated; but the issue of effective use of them is still the same as with the old ones - the person using them has to fully familiarize themselves with those features in order to get the most out of the unit. A lot of people don't take the time,or invest the energy to do so. 2) Larger screens are in general more expensive, but they also better display smaller items and bits of information that may be important to consider while fishing. The TYPE of fishing most frequently done should be factored in to the buying decision. Fishing for bass and walleyes in high structure weedy places is very different than trolling on Lake O or the larger Finger Lakes for trout and salmon. Down and side imaging is most useful in the former environment rather than the latter. Again, if the bulk of your fishing is done for warmwater species, and in waters that you have little familiarity with the SI and DI can be important features and the suggestions regarding screen size are also important. If on the other hand, you do a lot of trolling on Lake O and the larger Fingers, having a solid CHIRP depthfinder with GPS may be all you might need and again, the larger screen will give you enhanced information BUT no matter which unit you decide on the most valuable advice may be to spend the time thoroughly familiarizing yourself with the features you need to use, are able to buy, and have paid for. By the way, one of the most valuable features of GPS may not relate to fishing itself but rather to safety. Some units allow you to initiate a Man Overboard function when you start out from a launch and then the unit tracks your movements during fishing. If fog sets in or you are outside view of land you can return to port by following the arrow on the unit.

The above info is all good. The original question didn't specifically ask "what to get", or I would have said Furuno to guarantee your happiness (despite not owning one yet myself). I have friends with them that I fish with, and have seen them firsthand used in the salt water environment. It was a choice between the two units mentioned, and the fact that he fishes for BASS, Walleyes, and other lakes. For general trolling purposes on Lake O and the Finger Lakes the side scan is not necessary, and perhaps not even desirable. The downscan can sometimes be helpful when fishing for lakers and trying to separate out fish lying right on the bottom that may be mixed in with other things like bait,and jigging. Most of the current generation high definition CHIRP fishfinders with very good target separation will do the trick. Something to consider with Lowrance ( i have owned them for many years) is that the Tech Suport basically sucks; so unless you are a "techy" yourself or anxious to become one, Lowrance may not be the best choice out there,and a lot of it relates to the arrangement of their nested menu screens, and piss poor manuals. When it comes to accurately marking fish, something that will hold a long time, and for general trolling use - Furuno is top of the line, (or at least close to it) within the general trollers price range; but for the money you may not get as big a display unit as with other units. Nearly everything involved in the decision is a compromise when price of the unit is factored in..

A little warning when using the bleach (or bleach containing compounds) approach.....don't wear good pants

Triple shot seems the most versatile for the fishing you do.

Just a suggestion, but you may want to include information about the kicker (e.g. long shaft or extra long etc), how you intend to steer it, and maybe a pic of the transom if you have it.

Tilex and or Tuff Stuff and a scrub brush

Just a thought Mike, but if your unit supports software updates you may want to check the Garmin website for any possible update and install it. Sometimes some units need to be set back to the factory default condition first and then install updates to get rid of potential glitches.That way if you know the unit is up to date etc. it may be hardware (e.g. possibly transducer or its location etc.) related if still doing the same thing and if not you're home free.

GPS speed is calculated as "speed over ground" which means it is the speed of the boat moving over the lake bottom. You mentioned that you wanted something accurate for trolling. Although the GPS speed is better than nothing, it tells you little about what is going on BELOW while trolling. You didn't mention anything about price so the suggestion of the Fishhawk X4D is based on the question you asked.

Fishawk X4D. trolling speed at both the boat and downrigger weight and also water temperature at both surface and at weight (at probe and all information transsmitted wirelessly. You can also use an Android phone as an additional display.

Its the kind of thing that makes LOU special...great community of people. Snox49X